Cinder Wines 2016 Off-Dry Riesling, Snake River Valley $18

The talented Melanie Krause has only recently joined the Riesling revolution, but she’s quickly proven herself to be one of the Pacific Northwest’s leaders with the noble grape of Germany. She worked with young vineyards in Bankhead and Williamson to chase a citrusy style that’s not presented as sweet as it is billed. Delicate notes of jasmine, white peach and Bosc pear come with a residual sugar of 2 percent, yet there’s finesse and a tanginess that makes for a long finish. Last spring, this bottling earned a double gold medal and best of class at the Cascadia International Wine Competition. This fall, it came back home to dominate as best of show at the 2017 Idaho Wine Competition prior to earning a gold at the Great Northwest Invitational. It simply is one of the West Coast’s best wines of 2017.